This Saturday, June 6 is the day Railbird returns. If you’re heading to the Infield at Red Mile (1200 Red Mile Rd.) this weekend, good news — we’ll be there with you.

Follow along on Instagram for live coverage of the festival.

We caught up with festival co-founder David Helmers, who told us that Railbird has tripled in size since its start. It has grown from 15,000 fans in its first year to a "national-scale festival" that will see 45,000 fans each day, more than half of them from outside the state.

"Lexington is an interesting destination. We leaned into celebrating what we have here: horses, bourbon, great food and music. The question was, would it be compelling outside of Lexington?" Helmers said. "The answer is clearly yes."

Here are the essential things you should know to ensure you have a groovin' good weekend.

Before you get there

With temps expected to be in the mid-80s, it’s essential to prepare. Consider increasing your water intake the day prior, wearing loose + airy clothing, and slathering on the sunscreen.

You should also double-check that any personal belongings you plan to bring (think: medication, handbags, etc.) are permitted on festival grounds. Something we've found a helpful purse replacement for essentials in the past? A cross-body Bandolier or a rain jacket with pockets that zip.

Pro tip: Empty reusable water bottles and hydration packs, and plastic or aluminum water bottles are all A-OK.

Getting there + back

We won't sugarcoat it — traffic will be a doozy this weekend. There is no public parking available at the venue.

It's possible you may be able to pay to park at a business near-ish by. Many of those spots will already be spoken for. UK has opened parking at some of its garages less than a mile away for $50 purchased by 11:45 p.m. the night before or $75 on the day.

Your other main options are to:

Get your steps in by parking downtown and walking,
Use a ride-sharing service, such as Lyft or Uber, or
Have a brave acquaintance drop you off + pick you up.

Map of Railbird grounds 2026. — Railbird.

If you're staying at a hotel in the downtown area or — lucky duck — at the Manchester, or are going out to hear music at local venues post-festival, you may be able to cut some hoofing-it time off your walks by grabbing the new Lex Ride shuttle that circulates between downtown, the Warehouse Block, and the Distillery District.

Pro tip: Want some ideas of where to check out local live music? We can help with that.

Arrival

Have your wristband in hand? You can activate it, then register for cashless options by linking your preferred payment.

Pro tip: Don't put your wristband on too early and tighten it, because once they're on, they're on.

Plan ahead

If you're a pre-planner, you can also take a look at the festival map + schedule to figure out what your day will look like. Be aware that cell service may be spotty once you're on-site.

Pro tip: Having a designated spot to meet friends if separated is a good idea.

Kentucky connections

Obviously, we all know that Tyler Childers is a) from here and b) headlining Sunday. When we spoke with Helmers, he gave us a rundown of other Railbird acts that have Kentucky connections.

"Kentucky punches above its weight," said Helmers. He pointed out that one of the core founding principles of the festival was to put local, Kentucky-based artists alongside national and regional acts. "They can stand up to anybody. Railbird makes this a more exciting place to be a fan and a musician."

Here's that list, so you can support those with home-state ties (or impress your friends with your insider knowledge):

The Creekers: Four members are from Leslie County, and another from Knott.
Nicholas Jamerson + the Morning Jays: Jamerson hails from Prestonsburg, and if he plays "Lexington" the crowd will go wild.
John R. Miller: From West Virginia, but counts Tyler Childers among his fans and often plays in the region.
Sons of Habit: This Western Kentucky band started playing on land in Habit, Kentucky.
Houndmouth: So they're actually from New Albany, Indiana, but we all know that's just across the river from Louisville.
Colton Bowlin: From Albany, the Bluegrass State infuses his music.